Sr. Ilaria's final vows

I didn't cry when my dear friend Sr. Ilaria made her final vows because I was sad. I felt many different emotions during this beautiful Mass, but sadness wasn't one of them.

I suppose you could say that I was experiencing awe. She and I had been friends for many years, and much of what I am happy about in my life I owe in part to her.

She was the one who suggested I look into Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy, a school I had never heard of at the time, when I was just plain miserable at the school where I was studying.

She was the one who taught me how to pray the Rosary when I was a bratty high school student. I had been on several retreats where we prayed it, but I thought only nuns and old ladies actually prayed it daily.

She was the one who suggested, gently, that I read this book after I ended an unhealthy relationship from my high school years. This book, coupled with her witness, challenged me in many ways, and was especially helpful when Patrick and I discovered we had feelings for each other. (The old Jenna would have rushedrushedrushed into a relationship ("because that's what you DO when you like a guy!") but we took a lot of time, discernment and spiritual direction before actually dating).

She was the one who gave me such wise counsel on so many occasions.

{This includes one time that makes me laugh to this day. I had been dating a man I was not attracted to, rather annoyed by, and believed to be intellectually inferior to me and I wanted to break up with him. Duh. I prayed a novena to St. Therese, as though the reasons I just listed weren't enough, but he was so Caaaatholic, so I needed a siiiiiign that I was allowed to break up with him. Anyway on the 9th day, I was heading out to Mass when I went to cross the street and narrowly missed getting hit by a truck. . . a delivery truck, for roses. I panicked thinking St. Therese sent me a rose! It almost hit me! When I repeated this story to her in a snit because this meant I was called to MARRY someone I didn't even fancy she slowly, sagely, and with a straight face reminded me "reason always trumps supposed spiritual signs."}

A recent visit with Sr. Ilaria.

The Mass for her profession was so beautiful. After she made her vows, the bishop told her that if she kept them faithfully, she would be guaranteed eternal life. That wasn't just some uplifting statement of the bishop, but the actual wording of the liturgy, a real Tradition of our faith. That was one of the moments I cried, because I was just so overjoyed for her. It brought to life so clearly how the religious life is a sign of the life to come -- she is a walking testament to our salvation in Christ!

When she stood up after to say thank you to all the people who supported her, I don't think there was a dry eye in the congregation. The most moving was when she thanked her parents, firstly for being open to life, and for teaching her to pray, because it "tilled the soil" of her heart in preparation for her to encounter Christ. Patrick and I both felt challenged by that statement to be better witnesses to our children in terms of our own prayer lives and giving them more opportunities to pray, because while we don't control what God does in their life, we certainly play an important part in influencing them in the right direction.

When the closing hymn was sung, I felt so overjoyed at remembering being at World Youth Day with her many years ago. This day was a culmination of the person Christ had been calling her to be from the beginning of her life. What a privilege to have been able to participate.